COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Branch County is among 74 counties in Michigan that are in line to get help from the federal government following an historically bad planting season.
After Governor Gretchen Whitmer sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue requesting federal assistance for Michigan farmers under the Federal Crop Insurance Program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture sent a letter on October 31 to the governor announcing 43 Michigan Counties as primary natural disaster areas with 31 additional counties as contiguous disaster areas.
Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Hillsdale Counties are listed in the primary disaster zones. Branch, Calhoun and Kalamazoo Counties are classified as contiguous disaster areas.
The new designations under USDA guidelines allow farmers to access certain assistance from the agency, including crop insurance programs and FSA emergency loans.
Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of a disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans.
Those seeking to utilize assistance are encouraged to reach out to their local USDA Farm Service Agency Office.
More information can be found at FSA.USDA.gov
